Christmas can be an expensive time of year, especially when Cost of Living prices are rising.

If you’re looking for ways to spend less this Christmas, we’ve put together some helpful hints and tips on ways you can enjoy the festive period on a student budget: 

• Secret Santa can be a great way of saving money on gifts if you have a group of friends or family members you need to buy gifts for. Each member of the group is randomly assigned a person to buy a gift for, and part of the fun of secret Santa is that the identity of the gift giver remains a secret. You can set a maximum spend on a gift to keep costs down. Draw Names has a free secret Santa feature which is easy to use, and allows participants to submit a wish list too. 

• There are lots of free events you can enjoy across the University to get you in the Christmas spirit. The University of Reading Music and Chaplaincy’s carol service is taking place on the 9th of December at St Luke’s Church and there are also lots of exciting events taking place at the Chaplaincy including breadmaking and theology & doughnuts. For the full list of events taking place at the University this December, visit the Me@Reading Events Page. 
• Spend less money on wrapping paper by recycling old wrapping paper, purchasing wrapping paper at discount stores, or even making your own wrapping paper. If you’re feeling creative, check out these 6 unique ways to make your own unique wrapping paper. 
• Homemade gifts and cards are also a great way to save money, whilst also giving your cards and gifts a personal touch. You can bake, sew, knit, craft, draw or paint gifts for your loved ones. BBC Good Food has lots of tasty homemade Christmas gift ideas that you could try. 
• Christmas is a time that involves lots of delicious food, however, this can often be very expensive compared to your normal food shop. You could try some budget-friendly Christmas recipes this year, or check out these recipes on how to make the most of your Christmas leftovers. 

We hope you have enjoyed these helpful tips on ways to make the most of your money over the festive period! 

Please remember there is money support and advice available to you all year round. If you are worried about money and need financial support or guidance visit the Cost of Living pages on Essentials, and Reading Students’ Union’s Money Advice pages for information on the financial support and advice services available to you.